Don't Cry Out
by Autumn Nocturne
Summary: A time of peace has settled for the Sonic crew, but just when things start to relax, Amy begins having unnerving visions and feelings that cause quite a stir with everyone, especially Shadow, who proves to be the main subject in Amy’s prophecies...
1. Complicated

Amy slowly walked along the deserted street with her head down, thumbs jammed in the front pockets of her torn jeans, with her forefingers hanging outside the small pouches idly. She dragged her feet, creating a loud scraping noise that echoed the air around her with each dismal step. Tiny droplets of water fell from the unusually cloudy heavens above, whilst a strong wind whipped about, causing the gentle rain to smack against her bare cheeks and shoulders like vicious needles piercing her delicate skin. A shiver ran up and down her spine and eventually spread to her arms, making her soft pink fur to spike up more like a hedgehogs ought to. A streak of lightning appeared overhead, lighting up the evening sky for a brief moment, before a thunderous boom shook the windowpanes on a nearby building, and also shook our Amy from her thoughts.

Bright emerald orbs opened wide, as the pink figure stopped dead in her tracks, a look of sheer fright spread across her dramatic features. Barely a second passed before her expression hardened, and she carried on her solemn journey through the bizarre storm with no preset destination.

Yes, Amy would like to go "home", but for some unexplainable reason, she also enjoyed her new gloomy surroundings. At the thought of this, Amy slowly massaged her temples and shook her head slowly.

'_Oh god, he's growing on me_.'

There was no denying it. Hanging around Shadow definitely could be described as "a breath of fresh air". From the occasional moody attitude, to the dejected and hardhearted gait(which involved slamming into passers' shoulders without so much as a slight "sorry"), Amy had picked all of it up.

The rose-colored hedgehog noticed a tall sign ahead of her, indicating the location of a bus stop. Amy slowly made her way over to it, not bothering to shield herself from the forceful rain underneath the public awning, but rather standing just outside the plastic roofing, as if _enjoying_ the heavy grayness that loomed all around…

Amy yawned and leaned her head back against the bus sign post. Where exactly was she going? She couldn't return back to Shadow's home. She assumed that her constant presence was nagging the distant hedgehog, but then again, if she didn't return, then the accusation that she didn't care could possibly used against her. She sighed.

'_It shouldn't be this difficult._'

But in essence, it was. She "loved" him as much as he "loved" her. She'd never tell, but at times she questioned their relationship as to where it was going. Day by day they grew closer, but only close enough to bump into a wall built by the both of them. Amy had secrets. Shadow did as well. And neither of them was exactly willing to share…

-

He stared blankly at the unevenness of the street, eying cracks and pebbles that were scattered about the bumpy concrete. Her face, accompanied by entrenched memories and her smooth voice filled his head. She was always there, perhaps not in physical form, but her spirit always lingered, finally giving a face to that bitch of a thing called a "conscience". It was tough lately. Her being… _her_, and all the personality traits she possessed. At times, she'd complain about how cold he was, but still, every night she'd climb into his soft bed for one reason or another, snuggling him close with her arms wrapped around him in a death grip.

He looked up at the cloudy sky, tapping the end of his cigarette and watching the fiery ashes fly away in the brisk, pre-storm wind. He leaned back in the cheap plastic lawn chair, crossing his right leg over left, and resting the back of his head on the cushioning of his own hand and spines. He had always loved thunder storms; watching the bright lighting strike the earth leaving total destruction, and listening intently to the loud booming that always followed. He greatly admired how quickly the rain would fall, often times wash out the area with a tremendous flood. Here, however, it was uncommon for such a storm to occur, and Shadow vowed that he was **not** going to miss it.

His nose twitched, picking up the scent of fresh rain and a small brush fire somewhere nearby. He closed his eyes and allowed himself to dream and relax in a way that he normally wouldn't. But in a matter of no time at all, he felt something missing, and didn't have to think twice about exactly what, or _who_ that was.

He lazily opened his eyes and scanned the setting once more, somewhat hoping that a pink figure would be seen in the distance running towards the house, but no such luck. The same dreary scenery surrounded him.

He looked down at his hand, still holding the thin cigarette between his index and middle finger. Without bothering to finish, he flicked it over the side of the guard rail of his balcony, wondering where it would land a story below, and if somehow, Amy would find it. She was good for things like that.

It wasn't like he was really trying to hide his habit from her, because he half-figured that she knew anyway. And besides, it wasn't that often that he smoked, because in his mind, it was a way of loosening up, and it wasn't much of a problem.

He stopped mid-thought when a streak of lighting briefly lit up the sky, and leaned back a little further. He figured that he should be worried for Amy's sake, but she was probably at a local coffee shop, chatting up the staff and making new friends.

He hadn't a clue on how far off he was.

-

Amy finally made herself comfortable under the bus stop awning, sitting with her back against the plastic side paneling, and her knees gently tucked under her chin. The sidewalk pavement proved to be a bit warmer than the air around her, which was probably due to the sudden climate change earlier. Regardless, Amy welcomed the warmth, and focused her eyes on the constant water seepage into the drain at the street curb in front of her.

She arched her back a bit, beginning to feel tense after sitting for some time, but made herself aware that the bus was probably late due to the weather. The rhythmic battering of the rain against the roof and the trickling of water put an ease to her mind, and her eyelids began to droop. For the past few days, she'd been a bit edgy, but without reason. Her usual carefree and lax attitude had been replaced by constant thought and panicking. Her nights had been long due to a sudden case of insomnia which she never had before. In total, she gathered she had slept about two or three hours in the last few days.

She glanced down the street, searching for the bus and reminisced of her and Shadow's conversation the other night...

"_Is something wrong?" He questioned, after noticing her arms were not locked around him in bed, and her eyes stared wide open at the ceiling, lacking emotion._

"_A few things, yes," She answered curtly._

_He paused a moment, as if searching for what to say. "What?" he asked dumbly, sounding more groggy than he actually felt._

_Amy's mouth twitched as her stomach growled. "I don't know what," Came her reply, softly, as more as a whisper. "Things just don't… feel right."_

"_Everything is safe here, you know," Shadow answered tenderly, which was quite out of character. Amy moved her gaze from the stony ceiling to Shadow's eyes, prompting a small smile from the otherwise hardened hedgehog. "You don't have to worry," he told her, brushing his hand through her quills slowly. "…That's my job."_

_Amy grinned in the dark at his small sense of humor. It wasn't like him, but when the two were alone together, he often shed his bad-boy exterior for a softer side. _

"_I know there's no need to worry," She said, hugging him once more and hiding her face in his chest. "But sometimes that sixth sense just goes off…ya know?"_

...Amy blew at the bangs that fell in front of her face, as she thought about how Shadow might have interpreted her last sentence. Obviously, he couldn't understand what she meant, but then again, neither did she. She was in an alarming state of mind, and it was all due to what? Everything was so peaceful and yet she was still left in an angsty mess.

"Whatever," She told herself aloud, her voice cracking as the lump in her throat grew to an even larger size by the second. The bus rounded the corner, and Amy's sensitive ears picked up the rumbling engine easily.

She quickly pushed herself up to her feet with her hands and took a deep breath, chocking back her sobs as the bus pulled up and came to a slow stop in front of her. She sluggishly mounted the stairs, paying the small fare and wiping her tears with the back of her shirt as she took a seat in the rear, unaware of the reason why she was even crying.

* * *

Okay, so I haven't submitted/updated a story in a while. Thought I'd do so, any maybe work on the other one I already have up here? Who knows.

The rating of this story will most likely go up; whether it be in chapter 2 or 10 I don't know. So if you can't read mature fics, then sorry, I guess.

Constructive Criticism is welcome, of course.


	2. Hiding

"_Sonic… do ya think you might just be…" his voice quivers, and I watch as his eyes shift back and forth in a nervous fashion; his hands shaking slightly, choking on his own tongue._

"_What is it, Miles?" I ask in a soft tone, hoping that a soothing voice might calm down the anxious fox._

_He twiddles his thumbs for a moment before looking up at me from his chair; his big, baby blue eyes staring through me as the morning sun shines through the kitchen window, the blinds chopping up the rays of sunlight like sliced bread. Again, I only watch as he continues to stare me down; his glazed orbs scanning up and down my toned frame as if searching for something, anything._

"_Tails?" I call softly, snapping him out of whatever trance seemed to have overtaken him. I lean myself against the marble countertop overstuffed with dishes and cans, crossing my legs and once more asking the reason for his uneasiness._

_He gulps, closing his eyes and straightening his back._

"_Sonic… I'm worried about you. Honestly."_

_I'm somewhat shocked. I, too, find my own eyes examining my body for any cuts or bruises that might pull such a statement out of the boy._

"_It's not…physical," he tells me, louder than before. I raise an eyebrow, silently questioning the matter._

_He drums his fingers against the wooden table for a moment, biting his bottom lip before telling me,_

"_I think you're jealous of Shadow and Amy."_

-

I shake my head a few times, hoping to shoo the recollection of yesterday morning's conversation. For some reason, I can't seem to do anything but sit here, on the edge of my bed, wrapped up in satin sheets and tucked in with numerous pillows, and contemplate whatever "situation" this thing is. Tails' words have worked their way into my head, and now I've got to work them out.

I roll myself into a small ball, pulling the soft bed sheets over my head and closing my eyes in the already dark space I've made for myself.

I concentrate on my breathing, meditating on the sounds of my heart, mixed perfectly with the sound of rain beating against the large windows in my room; its rhythm constant, with the occasional distant rolling of thunder.

I sigh lowly, my eyelids increasingly gaining weight. Tails has always been known for his great intellect, but I would have never expected him to pick up on anything that goes on in my mind.

And I'll admit, I'm a bit scared.

It's one thing when someone acts out; when overwhelming emotions of jealousy and hate wash over you, and your actions mirror your state of mind. It's entirely different when you've always kept things to yourself, and never _once_ let on about how you felt. It's different because you second guess yourself, your friends. You question whether they know something you've tried so hard not to let them know; something you've bottled up in your heart and hardly even let yourself think about. It's different, because this is me. Sonic isn't supposed to show this side to anyone.

And yet, someone knows.

"How?" I whisper in the dark, feeling the heat of my breath against my lower stomach where I've hid my head. I can admit to myself that I'm jealous.

But I **can't** admit to anyone else.

-

I lean my head back as far as it will go, or at least, until it hits the back of the window, where numerous bus seats are lined in a row. By the looks of it, it's just me and the bus driver- who seems to be keeping a steady 10 mph in the sheeted rain. Mist rises from the ground, and as I look out the window, I can't help but notice how eerie the road looks. My mind wanders as I imagine shadows emerging from the heavy fog, breaking their way into the bus only to eat me alive.

I grin inwardly at my maniacal imagination, knowing that I'm perfectly safe inside this giant box on wheels, but still loving the sensation of freight.

'_Wonder who taught me that one…_'

"Where do you live, Miss?" a grungy, womanish voice questions out of nowhere; a voice that cracks at the ends of its sentences, and splits with each syllable. I tilt my head up and see two pairs of orange-grey eyes with a silver caterpillar across the top staring at me from the rear-view mirror. I hide my cringing at the sight of the elderly lady, and force myself to answer.

"17 Mottle Hill," I reply, my voice a bit hoarse from earlier crying.

The woman purses her lips, gripping the large steering wheel and leaning a bit over it, glancing left and right; surveying the area.

"Well by the looks of it, hun," She starts, smacking her dry, chapped lips together and once more staring at my reflection in her mirror, "I'd say you're right about home."

I sigh, my tensed shoulders dropping a bit from relief.

"However," She continues, as I peek over her shoulder, seeing the roads ahead flooded with dirtied water. "I don't think this ol' baby will be able to travel through them rapids," She jokes, nodding her head in the direction of the flooding, and patting the dashboard of her "baby". "Ya think if you get off here, you'll make it home alright?"

I ponder her question, reading the glowing street signs nearby and considering my distance from Shadow's home.

I nod my head slightly, forcing a friendly smile. "I think I'll make it."

"Glad to hear it tootsie," She articulates, her voice resembling that of a smokers. I watch as her hand reaches out and pulls a lever down, which opens the bus doors for me. I toss my quills over my shoulder as I make my way to the front of the bus, pausing before I alight the small stairs, hearing her voice call once more.

"You got an umbrella, darling?" She asks politely, addressing me with another split-second nickname. "That rain there's comin' down in buckets!"

I shrug my shoulders as I look over them to speak with her. "I'll be fine," I laugh, "A little rain never hurt anyone."

"Good luck, dear!" She shouts to me over the loud mayhem of the weather once I've stepped foot outside. I watch as she quickly shuts the sliding doors with a quick thrust of her arm, and makes a large u-turn. I feel the water fall upon me, beading on the top of my fur, and trailing off the sides of my body.

'_It's just a few short blocks till I reach Shadow's,_' I think to myself, speed walking through the heavy downpour. '_I'll be able to make it._'

-

I recline in my plush leather sofa, thinking of nothing, and dreaming of everything. I exhale slowly, letting my back sink into the seat cushions, deeper than before, as I throw my arm over my forehead lazily and drift in and out of consciousness. The dark room lights up every now and then; the glare from the television across from me flashing vibrant colors that only slightly show themselves beneath the darkness of my eyelids. All my work has been done for the day; my usual investigating and in-depth lab research finally finished, and I've got nothing to do but lounge in a living room that, in my own opinion, isn't used enough.

I yawn, sticking out my tongue and stretching my legs and tails. The shades for my windows are fully closed, but even with the outside world cut off, the gloominess somehow works its way into my home, causing me to feel a bit more drowsy than usual.

I shift onto my side, propping my head up with a nearby pillow, and sluggishly opening my eyes to mere slivers. My orbs idly focus on the medium screen before me, hardly making out the figure, which appears to be some newscaster, pointing out red and orange dots on a map.

My ears tune in slowly to the faint, yet high-pitched tone of the woman on screen.

"_Scattered thundershowers throughout the area, so be careful going outside!"_

I continue watching the forecast, my lethargic disposition preventing me from moving off the couch to find the remote.

"_Newest reports tell us that we have a flash-flood warning in effect, so if you spot any leakage in your cellars or roofs, be sure to dial for help…"_

I sniff my nose, the humidity around me making it a bit difficult to breathe. I dismiss the warnings, and turn my thoughts to Amy, who was supposed to "pull my lazy ass out of the house for once, and take me to lunch". However, the dark clouds put a damper on our plans, as she called me to cancel.

But what really bothered me, is how anxious she was to talk. Of course she sounded like the cheerful girl she's always been, but something wasn't quite right. She admitted to wanting to talk about something, but brushed off the seriousness of it, saying that it was more along the lines of "catching up" rather than any _actual _issue.

I roll my eyes at my friends… They're _all _an issue.

I glance down at the floor, noticing my black cell phone, and decide to give Amy a call, not bothering to dial her home, but Shadow's residence instead.

-

My arms shake as I grab a hold of the iron railing outside the front porch. My breathing is labored; each gasp of breath is shallow as my heart hammers deep within my chest. My left temple surges with some sort of current that I've never felt before. It's like a heaviness, a throbbing headache, with a shock of pain like a needle to your forearm. It's but a moment before I lose feeling in my legs, and my head feels unattached to the rest of my body. I collapse forward, falling onto the stairs, couching and choking on a mixture of rain and spit.

"Amy!" a voice calls for me, somewhat distant to my plugged ears. I glance up, seeing Shadow at my side, holding me by the shoulders. "What's wrong?" he asks, his eyes sporting intense worry.

"I…can't…" I stutter, my vision blackening at the edges as my fingertips begin to tingle as if I'd been sitting on them. I find I'm far too tired to support my neck any further, and droop forward, completely blacking out.

* * *

Hmm... I'd say this chapter was a bit rushed on my behalf, but it gets the story moving along, which is what I'm aiming for.

I need to work on capturing emotion a bit more. All my characters are lifeless at times.

Okay, so, constructive criticism is obviously welcome, so if you have anything to say, don't hesitate to tell me.


	3. Your Eyes Are Liars

_My eyes open lazily; the back of my eyelids slowly opening like a large velvet curtain, as I tiredly glance around my surroundings, and finally deem it safe. I know this bed- the deep mahogany headboard, the chocolate bed sheets and contrasting bright white down comforter wrapped around me like a tortilla. I close my eyes once more and take in the rich, heavy peppermint scent of the air surrounding me- it all feels so right._

_I squint my eyes and look up, finally taking notice of a small dip in the bed beside me._

"_Shadow…?" I whisper, listening to the pattering rain upon the old windows. I stare at his face, watching as his eyes trail over to mine, and in an instant, I'm no longer feeling so safe._

"_S-Shadow?" I stutter, gripping the sheets and pulling back a bit, suddenly on edge. "What's the matter?"_

_He grits his teeth, turning his body to face me. "Don't you think you've overstayed your welcome?" He questions, his tone oozing with anger that's causing me to go into shock._

_I only look down, my cheeks becoming flushed with what seems to be a mixture of frustration and embarrassment. Why had he not brought this subject up before? Just the other night I was here and-_

"_Well?" He snaps, his eyes narrowing and spitting fire._

_I find myself unable to speak, completely shocked by his actions. "Shadow, I…" my voice fades, fear from deep within me paralyzing my tongue for the moment. Somewhere, in the back of my mind, I had expected this conversation to come up... but so abruptly? So out of the blue? _

"_Shadow what's this all about?" I fire back, my instincts choosing to fight, rather than run. Either way, I know that when it really comes down to it, I have no chance against him. _

"_Don't play stupid," he scoffs, snickering in my face, "That act got old when you first started toying with me."_

_No sooner the words leave his mouth, names and faces race through my mind. Surely this must have been the work of someone else; Shadow knows I love him, and only some other jealous type could have changed his confidence, or at least, put him a bit on edge... He knows the truth deep inside, right?_

"_Toying with you? Shadow, __**what**__ are you talking about?" I ask, putting a hand to my head at the sudden headache that pounds mercilessly from the inside of my skull. "I've never done any such thing!"_

"_Really," he states simply, holding his head high and crossing his arms. "You know, I thought differently of you…The whole 'evil' thing just didn't seem your type." He glances down at me, his eyes scornful and full of hate. "Now you pull this."_

_At this point, I'm speechless. Confusion causes me to drop my jaw and shake my head._

"_You can stop denying it now," he informs me, as if I'm guilty, and he is oh so sure of it. My ears perk as I hear a familiar sound click nearby- a sound that I'd hoped and prayed I'd never have to hear again._

"_I didn't expect this from you," I hear him say quietly, almost in a whisper, "I trusted you…with everything."_

_I look up once more at him and notice tears shimmering in his eyes. His mouth is pressed in a straight line, his lips curled in with the edges quivering._

_My eyes widen at the sight. Shadow? Crying? Of course I'd seen him cry before but that was merely tears on an emotionless slate. I watched and trembled as he sniffed his nose, rubbing the edges of his infamous black handgun._

"_Wha…?" I breathe, as he gently nudges the barrel towards my soft temple. _

"_I saw you do it," he exclaims sternly, pushing out all hints of the emotions so clearly displayed on his face. "No matter how much you deny it, I know the truth."_

_My vision blurs as I continue to watch the scene with my mouth agape. Could this really be happening? My Shadow? Holding a gun to my head and convicting me of something terrible I've never done? It simply couldn't be. My eyes were liars. This was not the same Shadow I had loved; the one who had held me and helped me in the darkest of times. No, my Shadow would never do this. _

_I find myself lurch at him, my fingers gripping his shoulders and shaking them fiercely. "Shadow what have I done? Just tell me, please! What have I done?!" I scream, over and over again so that my voice becomes hoarse. Tears race down my cheeks, matching the pace of my lover before me, still pressing the gun to me. _

"…_You…can't… deny it," He whispers, his eyes no longer locked on mine, but staring to the side as he struggles to breathe for some unknown reason. "My eyes… I heard those screams..."_

"_What screams?" I demand, gripping his shoulders a bit harder than before. I search frantically for some sign that my Shadow is still in there somewhere; fighting and scratching to get rid of this monster that has taken over him._

_His eyes dart back to mine as he speaks once more, angrily, "I should have known… all this talk about trust; such bullshit!"_

_I try to intervene… tell him how every thing I've ever said to him was truth, but he does not let me speak._

"_And then… you leave… you never said a word and then…"_

_I blink away some tears._

"_You're just like the rest of them."_

_And just like that, an icy cold melts the side of my head, whilst heat burns around the edges. Slowly, my hand reaches for the side of my face… the side where I should feel an eye, a cheek, tender skin… and I don't, and I panic. I feel teeth, and as I hiss in sudden pain, the air that sweeps in from my mouth feels cold against my back ivories, bare and exposed without a covering._

_I bring my hand down in front of me, seeing with only one eye that it is completely drenched in blood; bits of white and tiny chunks of flesh littered upon my fingertips._

_It is only then when I hear a loud bang in my right ear, the growl from deep within Shadow's throat, and the shallowness of my breath, uneven and loud with nerve._

_I don't dare look to my side, where I'm sure the headboard is neatly decorated with the rest of my head._

_Slowly, I fall back down to the pillows, the heat, sting, and pressure slowly fading as I feel a new sense of numb fill me; my head now lighter than air._

_I look up, staring for the last time into Shadow's cold, unfeeling eyes… The eyes I was so sure I had changed. The eyes that used to look at me lovingly, and view the world with a tiny light that glowed behind them. _

"_User." I hear in the distance, my eye flinching as thick blood drips and tangles with my lashes, struggling to keep focus on the true light of my life._

-

Once more I open my eyes, quickly this time. I don't analyze anything except the two black and red arms around my waist, holding me in place. Whipping my head around nervously, I'm greeted by the same red orbs that just killed me.

"Awake?"

Faster than the blink of an eye, I tear his arms away from me, flinging myself on the floor with a loud thud.

He sounds stunned, "Amy what the-?"

But before he can get out another word, panic works itself into my throat, and inevitably, forms itself into the most vile of forms.

I give one cough before milky white spurts out of my mouth and onto the floor, I don't think it was that long, but my head hit the floor pretty hard before it all went black again…

* * *

Oh yeah... I changed the title of my story... The other one didn't seem to quite fit .

...Hmm…wasn't quite bloody enough…oh well.

Don't forget to review! Constructive criticism is great, if you can offer it. :-)


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